Hadith Explanation

What’s there to Forgive

It was reported that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) stayed up all night, standing (in prayer) until his feet became swollen. When he was asked, “Why are you doing this, when Allah has forgiven all your past and future wrong actions?” he replied, “Should I not be a grateful slave?” [Sahih Bukhari]

A worshipper worshipped Allah for fifty years, so Allah told him that He had forgiven him. The man said, ‘O Allah, what is there to forgive when I have not committed a wrong action?’ So Allah caused a nerve in his neck to give him pain, so he could not sleep or pray. When the pain eased and he was able to sleep, an angel came to him. He complained to the angel of the pain he had suffered. The angel told him: ‘Your Lord says to you that your fifty years of worship is to pay for the soothing of your pain.’” [Uddat as-Sabirin wa Dhakhirat ash-Shakirin, by Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah]

The deeds of a man cannot pay for even one of the many blessings of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), because even the smallest of Allah’s blessings and favours on us far outweigh the deeds a human can perform. So bear in mind the rights which Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has over us.

From the above story we may understand the meaning of the hadith: “If Allah were to punish the people of heaven and earth, He would have done that without being unjust towards them, and if He were to have mercy on them, His Mercy would be far better for them than their deeds.” [Abu Dawud]